Biggles the Scout
Biggles the Scout is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy Issue 325, 28th April 1934. The story was subsequently gathered and published in 1935 in the Boys' Friend Library edition of Biggles Learns to Fly where it spanned chapters 5 and 6. The original Modern Boy short story was divided into four sections with subtitles Plots and Plans!, Head-on Disaster! and Spitting Out Seawater and Late For Dinner!. The 1935 BFL edition split the story at the beginning of the third section and used the headings of the first and fourth sections as the chapter titles but without the exclamation marks. Subsequent editions such as Brockhampton and Armada did the same until the Norman Wright edition when the story was cast in the original format in The Modern Boy as one chapter. Synopsis A week after Biggles joins 169 Squadron, he is sent on a dangerous reconnaissance mission with his observer Mark Way. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Plots and Plans After a week at 169 Sqn, Biggles feels very much like a veteran. The squadron has been tasked to complete a reconnaissance mission to the railway junction and sidings at Vanfleur, deep behind enemy lines. Two sets of crew have been sent out and have failed to return. Now it is the turn of Captain Mapleton's flight. He calls his pilots together and asks them to toss for it. Biggles is happy to "win" and get the mission. He decides to depart immediately, that same afternoon. Everybody expects these flights to be done first thing in the morning. He would do it differently. Biggles and Mark Way take off and proceed to Vanfleur. The weather is not good: there is a lot of broken cloud. On the plus side, it would hide him from enemy interceptors. But it would also allow enemy interceptors to hide in ambush and worse, it would make it difficult for his and Mark to get a good view of their target. They make it to their target without interference. Amidst heavy anti-aircraft fire, Biggles orbits the railyards while Mark takes notes. To make a thorough job of it, Mark asks for a second orbit. And then they must go: a large formation of some 20 enemy aircraft are diving on them. Biggles turns for base but there is another formation coming his way to cut him off. He is forced to head northwest, the only direction available and has to dodge in and out of cloud to evade his pursuers. They succeed in escaping but are now lost. Descending below cloud, they find themselves over the sea! Biggles hastily turns for the Belgian coast. Will they have enough fuel to get back to dry land? No! Behind them, an enemy fighter is diving on them. Biggles looks ahead--there is a second one diving from straight ahead in a coordinated attack. Just at the last minute, Biggles zooms up to avoid collision. Both enemy aircraft swerve to the same side and collide with each other and crash into the sea. But there is little time for celebration--just at this moment, Biggles' engine cuts out. Late for Dinner! Biggles attempts to glide the aircraft back to the coast but doesn't quite make it and they ditch and have to swim for it. Getting ashore, they find they are on the German side of the lines and have to evade patrols by hiding in the sand dunes. Mark thinks he saw the barbed wire which marks the frontline and they head for it. There's no way through the wire so they have to swim around it. It's back into the icy cold water again. Biggles is not much of a swimmer but fortunately Mark is and they get safely ashore on the Belgian side. They manage to make contact with a Belgian unit who summon a British officer to interview them. Satisfied that they are genuine R.F.C. personnel, the British officer loans them his staff car to take them back to 169 Sqn where they receive a warm welcome. Characters *Biggles *Captain Mapleton *Mark Way *McAngus *Marriot *Major Paynter *Littleton *Gormsby *Blake *Anderson Aircraft *F.E.2b *Albatros Places Visited *169 Squadron *Vanfleur Mentioned *Douai Editorial Changes Other Research Notes *Biggles says he nearly joined the navy once. References to the past Incongruities *See chronology below for some anachronisms. Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *Biggles began his flying training in September 1916 and got his wings after about two weeks. He joined 169 Squadron and this mission is a week after his first combat sortie which took place on the day of his arrival. Hence the time of this story cannot be later than October 1916. *Biggles timed his take-off for two in the afternoon and noted that it began to get dark soon after four. Sunset is a trifle early for October, perhaps. *According Captain Mapleton, "Richthofen and his crowd have just moved to Douai." This is unfortunately anachronistic. **In October 1916, Richthofen had not yet become a squadron commander. In October he was in Jasta 2 serving under Oswald Boelke (who died on 28 October 1916). Richthofen got his first command, Jasta 11, only on 16 January 1917. October 1916 is too early to talk about "Richthofen and his crowd". **By the end of October 1916, Richthofen had 6 kills. A good score but not such as to give him the reputation that Mapleton seems to imply. Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 325, 28th April 1934 *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Boy's Friend Library 1935 (as Chapter 5: Plots and Plans, Chapter 6: Late for Dinner) *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Brockhampton, 1955 *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Armada, 1963, and subsequent reprints *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Severn House, 1980 *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Knight, 1986, and subsequent reprints *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Red Fox, 1992, and subsequent reprints *''Biggles Learns to Fly'', Norman Wright, 2010 References Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories